1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to locks for outboard motors used on motorboats and particularly to an elongated heavy duty lock mechanism which is particularly designed to totally encase and secure the mounting bolts used to mount large outboard motors to the transom of the boat while simultaneously serving to reinforce the transom.
2. History of the Invention
Heretofore there have been a number of locks designed to prevent the theft of motors used on outboard motorboats. There has been an increasing problem over the years with thefts of the outboard motors which are conventionally used on motorboats. Generally, outboard motors are mounted in one of two manners to the transom of a motorboat. With smaller outboard motors, U-shaped clamps are provided which extend from the motor or engine upwardly and over the transom and which include clamping screws which are located inside the boat which are used to secure the motor to the transom by clamping action. The manually operated clamps of such mounting devices for small engines are easily accessible, thereby making it possible for such motors to be misappropriated relatively easily.
The second type of outboard motor mounting means utilizes bolts which extend from the outboard motor through the transom. The bolts are secured on the inside of the transom by a plurality of lock nuts. Such mounting bolts are normally only used on the larger outboard motors where, due to the enormous thrust created by the operation of the outboard engine, it becomes necessary to insure that the engine cannot vibrate the mounting means and loosen the same with respect to the transom. Although the larger outboard engines are more bulky and more difficult to handle, there is also an increasing problem with the theft of such motors.
Various locking mechanisms have been designed in attempt to secure outboard motors both of the clamp-on and the bolt-on type. Some of these locking devices utilize locking means which engage the threaded shaft of a clamping member so as to prevent rotation of one or more of the clamps which are used to mount the outboard motor to the transom. Such locks may be operated utilizing either a combination or a key release mechanism. One problem inherent in the use of such locking devices is that the clamping member or shaft of the clamp is exposed and may be readily vandilized such as by cutting through the clamping member with a hacksaw thereby bypassing the locking mechanism entirely. In addition, such locks also operate on a pressured engagement between the locking mechanism and the threaded shaft of the clamp. By forcing the rotation of the clamp, it is often possible to strip the threads of the clamp member thereby permitting the clamp to be just slightly loosened thereby permitting a sliding of the clamp relative to the transom and thus, unauthorized removal of the motor accomplished with little effort.
In an effort to overcome the shortcomings of some of the prior art locking devices, efforts were directed to simultaneously locking both of the clamping members associated with outboard motor mounts. In this manner, the forceable movement of one handle would be offset or prevented by the opposing handle thereby making the locking mechanism more secure. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,738 to Foote, an elongated locking member is disclosed for use with outboard motors having a pair of clamping members for mounting the motor to a boat transom. In this motor lock, an elongated housing is provided with a slot along the rear portion thereof so that the housing may be urged over both the clamping members after they have been placed in aligned position with the slot permitting the shank of the clamps to extend therethrough. A padlock is thereafter provided through the upper and lower portions of the housing which forms an abuttant surface to prevent the housing from being longitudinally moved or removed from placement over the clamping members.
Another similar motor lock for preventing access to the handles of the motor mounting clamps is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,839 to Pavek. This lock includes a U-shaped housing which has a pair of enlarged openings therethrough through which the ends of the mounting clamps are inserted. The housing is subsequently positioned over the handles of the clamps and a separate plate locked thereto thereby enclosing the handles. Unfortunately, the handles are the only structure secured and the threaded shaft of the clamps is exposed and may be tampered with.
Unfortunately, structures such as that to Foote and Pauek are not designed to be utilized specifically with the larger or heavier outboard motors that are secured to a boat transom by the use of bolts and nuts. Although the prior art discloses a number of locking mechanisms for securing a nut relative to a bolt shaft, such structures do not offer the combined security and reinforcement capability which is necessary to adequately secure a large outboard motor to a boat transom. Most prior art bolt securing or locking devices include a housing which is mounted behind a nut threadingly received on a bolt shaft. Such locks also include a cover plate which is lockable with respect to the housing by means of a conventional padlock. When a padlock is readily exposed, the legs of the lock can be cut by the use of heavy duty cutters and the mechanism bypassed. In addition, such locking devices are generally specifically made to house only a single nut and therefore, a plurality of such locking devices would have to be utilized if more than one nut were to be secured with respect to an engine.
Some examples of prior art nut locking devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,339,075 to Toelle, 1,760,977 to Duffy, 3,181,523 to Casey, 3,605,460 to Singer et al., 3,789,635 to Van Brunt et al., 4,065,946 to Loynes et al. and 4,094,173 to Brown. Other examples of motor locks include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,058,994 to Coppola and 4,228,983 to Bowman, Jr.